THE HOUSE Committee on Revision of Laws created a technical working group on Thursday to consolidate bills seeking to expand the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

The committee members agreed to consolidate House Bills 2321 and 2697 during the virtual hearing headed by Zambales 2nd District Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla.

House Bill 2321 seeks to incorporate bullying in out-of-school contexts while House Bill 2697 aims to include bullying committed by students against teachers and non-teaching personnel in the definition of acts of bullying in RA 10627.

In her explanatory note on HB 2321, Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez said that the law failed to remedy non-school related acts of bullying that also disrupt the education process and the total development of a child.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Marisol Panotes, in her explanatory note on House Bill 2697, said that faculty members and school staff also fall victim to bullying by students, like disruptive classroom behavior, vandalism, and verbal abuse.

Atty. Gil Anthony Aquino, head of the Department of Education’s Child Rights in Education Desk, said that these offenses are already covered under Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.